Chapter 412: Bear and Honeycomb!
"Heave-ho... Pa..."
"Hah..."
Second's slender figure held a simple wooden mallet, pounding rice cakes with "Heave-ho, Heave-ho."
Watching the glutinous rice in the stone mortar gradually lose its graininess, sticking together into a sheet, and turning into a lump—a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment welled up in her heart!
Soon, a warm pale golden glow surged from the stone mortar!
Ryohei raised his hand to stop Second from continuing to pound. She stopped then, holding the wooden mallet, let out a long breath, and laughed cheerfully: "This is quite interesting!"
"Mn."
"There's more glutinous rice in the kitchen; let me try next." Minos watched with interest from the side, her cow tail slightly raised under the pleated skirt, pointing at herself with a slender white finger.
"Sure, go get it." Ryohei nodded with a smile.
"Alrighty!"
Minos responded happily, bent down to pick up the basin used to hold glutinous rice on the lawn, and walked briskly towards the villa.
Ryohei kneaded the rice cake in the stone mortar, slammed it Pa, Pa twice, turned his head to Yurine and asked: "Yurine, shall I make a Kagami Mochi for your family?"
"Mn? No need; my family should have prepared it by this time." Yurine was a bit tempted but shook her head.
"Is that so... then let's just eat this lump of 'rice cake' directly."
No need to prepare for Yusa—
Because the two had agreed privately to spend the New Year together at the ranch, preparing one portion was enough.
"How to eat it? Cook Zenzai (red bean soup with rice cake)?"
Hearing Ryohei say eat directly, Yurine and the others instantly became interested.
Jashin-chan tilted her head and asked.
Ryohei dipped his hand into the water in the wooden basin beside him, wetting the small table with the Kagami Mochi mold.
Then he took out a roll of plastic wrap from his storage space, tore off a sheet and stuck it on the table, raised his head and said: "No, that's too troublesome, have to cook it... Let's try the simplest way first!"
Saying this, he took out a jar of brown sugar, half a jar of crushed peanuts, and the local specialty brought from Jashin-chan's home—Yellow Striped Honey!
Brown Sugar Ciba (Glutinous Rice Cake)—a classic one never gets tired of!
Although people here called this Nian Gao (Rice Cake), in Ryohei's view, this was Ciba.
He pulled off a warm lump of Ciba from the stone mortar, rolled it round in his palm, and then flattened it on the table covered with plastic wrap.
First, he brushed a layer of bright Yellow Striped Honey with a small brush, then sprinkled a layer of brownish-red brown sugar powder, and then spread a layer of fragrant crushed peanuts.
Finally, rolled it up and sliced it diagonally into uniform small segments with a kitchen knife.
"Done, come try it."
Ryohei extended his hand in an invitation gesture, called out, and started making the second portion.
"Yay—!"
Second let out a cheerful cry, reached out her small hand first, and picked up a piece of Brown Sugar Ciba.
The Brown Sugar Ciba at her fingertips presented a full rhombus shape overall, the cross-section absolutely charming!
From the center outward, there were circles of patterns like tree rings. That was the ochre smudge formed by brown sugar melting upon heat, blending with honey, and gently penetrating inward!
The fragrant crushed peanuts were no longer just embellishing the surface but were rolled into every layer, forming golden stardust between the ochre "annual rings."
The coarse granules formed a sharp contrast with the soft and glutinous texture of the "rice cake." Just looking at it gave her a feeling that it was very delicious!
"Ah-woo—!"
Couldn't resist! Simply couldn't resist!
Second opened her cherry-like small mouth and took a bite expectantly.
The next second, she suffered a sweet critical hit!
Teeth cut into the chewy and glutinous "rice cake," crushed peanuts made a light crunch sound at the tip of the teeth; the texture of "crispy amidst glutinous" surprised her!
The brown sugar hadn't completely melted, with a slightly sandy granular feel—
With temperature and chewing, it released a gentle and mellow sweetness, interweaving with the fresh and fragrant sweetness provided by the honey, making the sweetness extremely layered.
The roasted crushed peanuts also contributed a solid nutty savory aroma and oil fragrance with chewing, neutralizing the cloying sweetness brought by brown sugar and honey very well.
And the "rice cake" itself carried a slightly salty taste—Ryohei added a little bit of salt when steaming!
This subtle saltiness was like the finishing touch, instantly making the overall flavor structure three-dimensional, complex, and profound!
"So delicious—!"
"This bite makes one unable to help immersing in it!"
(´ ∀ ` *)
Second closed her eyes with satisfaction, tilted her chin slightly, and a happy smile rippled on her face.
She casually put the remaining half of the Brown Sugar Ciba into her mouth—
"Mmm-hmm—!"
Chewing gently, a long, sweet, and satisfied sigh overflowed from her throat.
"Truly superb!"
Jashin-chan ate the Brown Sugar Ciba, chewing while narrowing her eyes in enjoyment, speaking eloquently:
"The 'rice cake' itself is chewy and glutinous, with a warm and moist texture."
"After biting down, first felt is the burnt fragrance and crispness of crushed peanuts, followed by the sandy granular feel of brown sugar, blossoming sequentially in the mouth!"
"The sweetness is mellow and rich, mixed with the clear sweet fragrance of honey, interspersed with the savory aroma of nuts, and the faint saltiness of the rice cake itself..."
"This elegant saltiness highlights the sweetness of brown sugar and honey, making it more advanced!"
"..."
In a trance, as if turning into a fluffy teddy bear.
Following the sweet fragrance permeating the air, Jashin-chan came under a giant honeycomb.
She looked up—
Seeing the honeycomb wasn't built of beeswax, but molded from warm, soft, and glutinous rice cake, like a congealed cloud.
Embedded on the surface were amber honey, fragrant crushed peanuts, and dark red sugar frosting. Just looking at it made her unable to help swallowing saliva.
(๑´ڡ`๑)
Jashin-chan licked her lips greedily, stood on tiptoe with fluffy paws, raised her hands above her head, and gently held the entire heavy, soft, and glutinous "honeycomb" down.
"Buzz buzz buzz—!"
Although the movement was gentle, the bees inhabiting it were still disturbed.
Jashin-chan turned and ran holding the honeycomb, couldn't help lowering her head to take a bite while running.
In an instant—
The soft and glutinous "honeycomb wall" gently wrapped around the teeth, crushed peanuts cracked happily between the teeth, the burnt sweetness of brown sugar and the floral fragrance of honey rippled in the mouth...
A distinct sense of happiness arose spontaneously!
Even the slight pain of being chased and stung by bees on her body became insignificant...
"..."
Real world—
"Wuaah—! You guys started eating? I want some too!"
At the villa entrance—
Minos came out holding the last one-third of glutinous rice. Seeing Ryohei and the others already eating, she cried out, hurriedly quickened her pace, and leaned over...
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